Elevator signaling system



y 4, 935 R. H. GAYLORD 2,000,942

ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM F iled April 6, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Robu'fH. Gaylord ATTORNEYJ May 1935- R. H. GAYLORD 2,000,942

ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed April 6, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 2 F 3 Fig.5

y 1935 R. H. QGAYLORID 2,000,942

ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed April 6, 1952 :5 Sheets-Sheet s II IHH i IYNVENTOR [a I Robe/f 1- 531 A I BY f I ATTOL commutators being, however, indicated in the drawings as adapted for five story or five landing signal system in place of seven landings as shown in the Smalley and Reiners patent.

In Fig. 1 there has been omitted from the diagram most of those contact plates which form no part of the electrical features in order to simplify the same. In this diagram I is a source of eleetricitysuch, for example, as an ordinary dynamo. 2 and 3 are elevator cars which are adapted to to travel up and down in their respective shafts, and 4 is an electrically controlled signal carried by each car and which is preferably in the form of an electric lamp. Electrically controlled signals located along the elevator shaft may also be provided for signaling the intending passenger that a certain elevator ear is approaching him in the direction which he desires to go. These signals are also preferably electric lamps and are indicated at 5 to l2, the top and bottom floors each being provided with a single lamp for each elevator, and each of the intermediate floors with a pair of lamps for each elevator, such as B and 9 for the third floor. These will be usually located outside of the elevator shaft adjacent to each doorway, as is common at the present time, one of said lamps serving to indicate a downwardly moving car and the other one an upwardly moving car. There is also provided suitable hand operated mechanism located at each'fioor, such as ordinary push buttons, by which the intending passenger may control part of any signal circuit so that by pushing one of said buttons he will close or cause to be closed a break in the said signal circuit, so that when the commutator closes the other break in such circuit the signal will be given. These push buttonsare indicated at l4 to 2|, two of them being located at each floor, except the top and bottom floors,the upper ones being to signal upwardly moving cars, and the lower ones downwardly moving cars. Each push button has a contact connected to one side of a battery I3 and a contact member connected to one of the setting magnets hereinafter set forth, the other side of each setting magnet being connected to the other side of the battery l3. Two cars with corresponding floor signals and commutators are shown in Fig. 1, but it will be evident that the system may be adapted for any desired number of shafts, and that the same may be cross-wired, so that one set of push buttons will control the circuits for all the cars of that bank, as is common in this art. It is not thought necessary to illustrate this duplication and cross-connection in the drawings, as the same will be evident to any person skilled in this art. A car operated switch or commutator is provided for each elevator shaft and is operated by connection with the corresponding cars. The commutator is adapted to determine the time'when the signal shall be operated-that is, when the lights may be lighted up, provided that a pushbutton has been pushed to close the other normally open break in the signal circuit. Each commutator consists of suitably fixed and relatively movable contacts and in the present embodiment the brushes are indicated as constituting the moving members thereof, said brushes being arranged in two groups respectively corresponding to up and down travel of the car and adapted to contact respectively and alternatively with two groups of fixed contacts. Furthermore each of said commutators comprises a moving member or brush carrier 22 (see Figs. 5 and 6) adapted to be moved back and forth by operation of the corresponding car, said moving member, for example, comprising a nut 23, which is adapted to work on a screw shaft 24 operated by connection with the car operating means, and suitable means are provided for tilting said moving member on said shaft to shift the brush carrier so that one group of brushes is operatively engaged with the corresponding fixed contacts while the elevator car is travelling upwardly and to shift the brush carrying means so as to cause the other group of brushes to operatively contact with the other corresponding group of fixed contacts during the downward travel of the elevator car. The means for reversing the movement of the brush carrier may consist of a frictional bearing means as shown at 35 in Fig. 8, whereby the nut 23 is caused to tend to turn one way or the other, in correspondence with the reversal of motion of screw shaft 24, and a guide member 36 adapted to engage an arm 23 on nut 23 to hold the brush carrier to one side while it is travelling in one direction and to the other side while it is travelling in the opposite direction, all as set forth in the patent to Smalley and Reiners above referred to. The circuit connections are also controlled by mercury pots and restoring and setting magnets, which have been shown in Fig. 1 adjacent the commutator to more clearly indicate their relation; but they may be placed wherever convenient, and, in fact, are usually placed upon a separate support by themselves, being suitably wired from each separate commutator of the bank of elevators, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The group of fixed contacts for the down signal control, in the commutator for each elevator, comprises two series of contact plates, but they need not necessarily be of the form shown in all cases. One such series is indicated at 25 to 21 and the other series at 28 to 30. These two series above indicated are for the car as it moves downwardly, and it will be observed that each plate of the series 25 to 21 has connected with it a down light-that is lamp 6 is connected to plate 25, lamp 8 to plate 26, etc. The plates 28 to 30 are connected to switches (indicated as mercury pots 3| to 33 having pivoted contact arms 34) the connections including interlocking electromagnetic devices hereinafter described. Said pivoted arms 34 for mercury pots 3| to 33 are operated by the setting magnets 38 to 40 controlled by the respective down push buttons i5, 1, etc., and said pivoted arms are all connected to one side of dynamo l. Each setting magnet has an armature 4| (see Fig. 2) controlling the pivoted contact arm 34. The pivoted arm 34 of each switch is normally out of contact with the mercury, and therefore causes a break in the signal circuit,.and it and the mercury pot constitute a switch. It will be obvious that there is no limitation to this form of switch, but this mercury pot and pivoted lever construction is a convenient one to use, as has been found by actual practice. The pivoted lever may be caused to drop into the body by different mechanism, but it has been found that a magnet controlled by a floor push button is a convenient and effective means to this end. In the present instance there is provided a setting magnet, such as 38 to '40 (see Fig. 1) connected to a corresponding push button, so that when a button, such as [5, is pushed it will close a circuit from battery l3 through the corresponding setting magnet 38, thereby attracting its armature 4| and releasing the lever 34, which will drop into the pot, as indicated in the diagram. There is also provided a restoring magnet, such as indicated at 43 to 45, for each arm 84 for restoring the same to the normal position shown in Fig. 2 after the car starts to move away from the floor for which the signal has been given. This will be described more in detail hereinafter. It will be observed from the above that each of the intermediate floors is served by one of said floor signals, such as 8, a plate, such as 25, of the series connected therewith, and a plate, such as 28, of the other series which is connected to the source or supply through a switch, which is individually controlled as hereinafter described by hand operated mechanism, such as push button l5, located at said floor at which the signal 5 is also located.

In order to make electrical connection between plates 25 and 28, etc., there is provided a brush or brushes for each series of plates, these brushes, indicated at 41 and 48 being electrically connected as indicated. It will be obvious that when any one pair of these brushes 4! and 48, touch plates 25 and 28, respectively, the door lamp 5 will be lighted up, providing all other breaks in the circuit having previously been closed, as the third normally open break in the circuit (between plates 25 and 28) will then be closed and this break will remain closed so long as any pair of brushes connects these plates. It is preferred to provide several pairs of these brushes as indicated at 41 and 48, and space the pairs a distance apart less than the width of any single plate of'the series, so that the plates 25 and 28, for example, will be electrically connected while the car is moving for several floors, so that the floor light will light up several floors in advance of the car and remain lighted until the car reaches the floor. This relative arrangement is shown in the diagram and will be referred to hereinafter when the particular construction of the brush carrier is discussed hereinafter. It will be observed that the circuit from the dynamo passes through the car-light 4 and then to the long contact strip 55, and there is provided one or more pairs of brushes 58 and 51, connected as indicated, the brush 55 rubbing over strip 55 and the brush 5'! making contact with the series 28 to 38. It is preferred to provide the long strip 55 and the brush 56, rather than to attach the circuit from the car lamp directly to brush 51; but the construction shown may not be necessary in all cases. The car signal is therefore in circuit with a brush-in this instance brush 5I-on the series of contacts 28 to 38. In the present embodiment this brush 51 is a separate brush from any one of the brushes aforesaid, and this is the construction that is preferred, but it will be observed (see Fig. 1) that when these brushes are in the position shown in that figure the brush 51 rests upon the same plate as the brush it, and at that timesaid two brushes 51 and 48 are, in effect, a single brush. In order to lightup the car light only a floor or so before the carreaches the floor, brushes 56 and 51 are located behind the brushes" and 48, so that the floor light will be lighted up before the car light is lighted. There has also been provided another pair of connected brushes, '6 and 51, so that the car light may be lighted up slightly more than one floor away from the floor at which the car is to stop. Also there has been provided a series of restoring mechanisms for automatically restoring the circuits to normal condition after the car has passed by, in this instance raising the mercury pot arm out of the mercury. Such a series of restoring mechanisms is shown by the restoring magnets to 45, which are all the same as magnets of Pig. 2. It will be observed that, for example,

restoring magnet 43 (see Fig. 2) when energized will raise the lever 84 and drop the right end of the same underneath the end of armature H, where it will be held until the setting magnet 38 is again energized. In order to energize the restoring magnets at the proper time, there are provided a series of contacts 83 to 85 upon the commutator and a brush 58 adapted to ride on said contacts and suitably connected to the battery It, in this instance by being electrically connected to a brush 81, rubbing over contact strip 88, so that when the car starts to move away from the floor on which the signal has been given, brush it will engage contact 63, say, and energize magnet 13 to break the signal circuit at the mercury pot.

The brushes have been shown in Fig. 1 in the relative positions they occupy as the car is descending, these brushes controlling the signals to a down-moving car. from that part of the commutator corresponding to an upwardly moving car as they are not in operation at this time, being out of contact with the plates 18 to 88 on the up side corresponding to the aforesaid plates 25, etc., on the down side. When the car moves upwardly, the brushes for the up contact plates are shifted into a position by means operated by the car, as shown in said Smalley and Reiners patent, so as to make suitable connections for the control of the up signals, so as to operate the up signals and the signal in the car and the up restoring magnets. This shifting of the brushes will be referred to hereinafter. 86 to 88 represent a set of setting magnets, and 90 to 92 a set of restoring magnets for the up side, these magnets being controlled in the same manner as above set forth. Corresponding mercury cups or switches 8| to 83 are also provided. The system is therefore provided with means for controlling the signals when the car is moving up, substantially the same as those heretofore described for use when the car is moving down. 94 is a night signal" or bell which operates only when the normally closed switch 84 is open.

The above described construction and arrangement of parts is substantially the same as described and illustrated in the patent to Smalley and Reiners aforesaid, with the exception of the electrically operated interlocking means which are, according "to my present invention, incorporated in the connections for the floor landing and car signals in place of direct connection of the floor landing signals through the car operated switch to the mercury pots as set forth in said Smalley and Reiners patent. One form of electromagnetic interlocking means constituting the main feature of the present invention as applied to the control of the landing signals is shown more fully in Figs. 3 and 4, each interlocking means comprising a plurality of controlling electromagnets 95, said magnets being shown as mounted adjacent one another, this however not being necessary in the form of the invention shown in these figures. Each magnet controls an armature 96 carrying or attached to a pivotal arm 91 controlling a circuit breaker, said arm 91, for example, cooperating with a mercury pot 98 to control a branch circuit as hereinafter described. Each electromagnet 95 may comprise two coils or windings I88 and I8! which in the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are wound on the same core, and are connected in such a manner that when energized they act in opposition. In practice the two windings each extend the entire length of the electromagnet but for the sake The brushes are omitted each or" 2 of clearness the windings are shown as separate in Fig. 1. There are two series of sets of the controlling electromagnets 95, one series to control the up signals and the other series to control the down signals and in each series the number of sets is one less than the number of floors provided with landing signals. In the illustrations shown in the drawings there is provided two elevators and each set of controlling electromagnets therefore includes two such electromagnets. Coils I08 for the respective electromagnets 95 of a given set are connected in series, a connection I02 leading from one of said coils to the corresponding mercury pot of the series 3I to 33 and 8! to 83 controlled by a ccrrespoding setting magnet and connections I04 leading from the coil at the other end of the electromagnets 95 of said set to the several coils IOI of the electromagnets 95 in that set in parallel connection. From each coil IEI connection I08 leads to the arm 91 aforesaid which establishes a contact with mercury pot 98 and thence to the wire I01 leading to the corresponding contact of the series 28 to 30 and T3 to T5 of the corresponding car controlled switch.

I prefer to provide in connection with the above described system a car operators switch I08 for controlling the signal circuits and a car operators switch for controlling the restoring circuit,

and being provided with a set of said switches I03 and I39 as well as with a car signal I. The signal operating circuit may be traced as follows.

From the dynamo I a wire I I0 leads to branch wires HI and I52, wire III being connected to the contact arms 34 controlled by the respective setting magnets 38 etc., for the down operation and wire H2 being similarly connected to the circuit closers controlled by the setting magnets for the up operation. From each mercury pot or contact cooperating with the circuit closer 9 aforesaid a wire i02 leads to a corresponding set of intercontrolling electromagnets wires IE3? lead from the mercury pots or contacts 23 of the respective intercontrolling electromagnets for the down operation to the corresponding contacts 29, etc., at the down side of the car operating switch. Similar connections I02 and 50? are provided for the intercontrolling electromagnets for the up operation. From the contacts 20 etc., of the car operated switch wires I5 5 lead to the respective down signals 6, 8, etc., and similar wires H5 lead from the respective contacts it and I2, etc., to the respective up signals "5, 9, etc. From said signals return connections H 3 and II! lead to transfer switch H38 in the car from which a connection H9 leads back to the dynamo. From the long contact 55 of the car operated switch wires IE0 and EZI lead to a wire I22 which is connected to the car signal t, the other side of said car signal being connected together with wire II! to one side of the transfer switch I08 in the car so that by operating said transfer switch the return circuit for both the car signal and landing signals is interrupted. Similarly the long contact it at the upper side of the car operated switch is connected by wire I23 to the wire I2I from which the car signal circuit is completed as above described.

The controlling circuit leads by wire I24, connected to one side of the battery I3, and wire I25, to the several setting magnets 38, 39, etc., from which wires I25 lead to the respective down circuit closers i5, I7, etc., the return circuits for said circuit closers being established by connec-- tions I21 and I28 to the other side of the battery I3. Similar connections I29 and. I30 lead from the wire I24 to the respective setting magnets and to the up circuit closers I6, I8, etc., from which the return circuits are completed by the wires I21 and I28 aforesaid.

The restoring circuit leads from wire I24 aforesaid through wire I34 to the respective restoring magnets 43, 44, etc., and thence by wires I35 to respective restoring contacts 63, 64, etc., and from the long restoring contacts 68 the wires I35, I31 and I38 lead to the restoring circuit transfer switch I09 in the corresponding elevator car from which a wire I 40 leads to the wire I 38 aforesaid connected to the other side of the battery. Opening of transfer switch I09 therefore operates to break the restoring circuit and retain in operative position any circuit closer, 34, which has been operated.

In normal or inactive condition assuming that all the landing circuit closers are open the respective intercontrolling electromagnets 95 are de-energized and the armatures thereof allow the contact members 91 to close connections at the mercury cups or contacts 98, it being understood however that the connections so closed do not establish a circuit since such establishment requires closure of a signal circuit by mercury cup or contact controlled by a setting magnet under the control of a landing switch and also closure of a connection at the car operated switch. Assuming now that down push button I5 on the second floor is closed, the corresponding setting magnet 38 is operated to close circuit at 3I. The first descending car which enters the signal zone for that floor, for example, car 2 will then cause the signal circuit to be closed by a pair of brushes 41 and 48 between contacts 25 and 28. through wires H0 and III to arm 34 and contact 3|, thence by a wire I02 to the set of interlocking intercontrolling magnets 95 corresponding to the second fiOOl on the down side. The electric current passes first through the two coils I 00 of this set of electromagnets in series and then passes through connection I04 to the other winding I DI of the electromagnet of said set which corresponds to the car which is for the time being controlling the signal. From said winding IOI the current passes through the connection I06 to arm 91 and mercury cup or contact 98 and thence by the corresponding wire I07 to the contact 28 of the car operated switch.

From contact 25 of said switch the circuit is 4 continued through a wire II4 to the down landing signal 6 at the second floor corresponding to car 2 and thence by wires H6 and III to car transfer switch I08 and from said switch by wire H9 to the other side of dynamo or source of current I. Inasmuch as the two windings I00 and IOI of the said electromagnets 95 are wound oppositely the armature for the magnet corresponding to the car in control is not aiiected and the contact at 91 and 98 remains closed so that the corresponding down landing signal at the second floor is operated but in the case of the other electromagnet 95 of the same set (being the electromagnet shown at the right on the down side in Fig. 1) only the coil I 00 is energized, there being no connection established to the coil IOI, so that the armature of said magnet is attracted and the corresponding circuit is interrupted at 91 and 98 so as to open another break in the circuit of the landing signal on Current will then flow from dynamo I m on:

the second floor cor to the other car (or cars) so that no other "down" landing signal can beoperated atthn second floor until car 2 has relinquished control. Thus it will be seen that in any set at intercontrollim electromagnets or devices the first device to operate renders inoperative the other devices of the set andthe i als controlled thereby by interrupting or disabling the operating circuits therefor. In case the circuits oi the differential relay switches (:15, 91, 98) ior two or more cars, for the same door should be simultaneously cornpleteiwhichwilloccuriftwoormorecarsboth travelling in the same direction are within the signaling zone for that door when the push button for that floor and direction of travel is operated by an intending passenger, and which might also, although very rarely, occur if two or more cars travelling inthe same direction should, in exact coincidence, approach said floor after the push button has already been operated by an intended passrmger, the system is still 'entirely operative to accomplish the objects of this invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 9 wherein are shown the diiiferential relay switchesand the corresponding commutatorsegm nt I2 and I5 tor twocars for the same door, it may be seen, that under these circumstances, the two pairs of contact segments 12 and I5 for both of these cars, will be electrically connected by brushes (not shown in this figure).v

Current will flow from the corresponding contact member 83 through the wire 102 and through the first windings Hill of both of the relays in series in the same manner as described above for the case when only one car was assumed to he in the signal zone. I a

In the present instance, however, the current will then divide and follow two parallel paths. one of which leads through the other winding I01 of the lower relay in Fig. 9 and thence through thelower contact arm 91, mercury pct 98, wire llll and the left hand pair of contacts 12 and 15 to the signal for car No. l and the other of which leads through'branch wire IN to the other winding "H of the upper. relay and thence through the upper contact arm 9!, mercury pot 98, and wire ID! to the right hand pair of contact segments, and thus tothe signal for car No. 2. It may be seen therefore, that the full current required for operation of the signals for both cars will pass through the first winding 100 of each of the relays while the current required for only one of these signals will pass through the other winding I01 of each of said relays, due to the fact thatthe windings I" are connected in series while the windings H are connected in parallel. To illustrate for a specific case, assume that each of said signals consists of a lamp drawing a current of .5 amp, there will in that case be a current of 1 amp. flowing throughthe first winding 400 of the lower relay and of the upper relay, and a current of onhr .5 amp. through the other winding ll of each of said relays. Since the two windings I08 and IN of each relay are substantially equal and opposite to one another, the net magnetizing effect will be the same as though a current of .5 amp. were passed through only the first winding 0! each of said relays and each of said relays will, therefore be momentarily magnetically energized and will momentarily tend to move its contact arm 91 to open position.

their associated contact arms Sland mercury pets 88 are substantially within manufacturing limits, it has been found by actual experience that due to unavoidable slight differ: ences in speed of operationot the contact arms 91 by the respective electro-magnets or to slight difierences in the contact arms or mercury pots themselves, no two of these can be made to operate to break or make connection at exactly the same instant. If oneof said contact arms, for example, the arm corresponding to the upper relay lifts sufficiently to break connection with its mercury pot even a fraction of a second in advance of the other arm, as will almost inevitably be the case, the circuitior the signal of car No.2, forexamnle, will be immediately interrupted and the conditions of current flow in the two relays will immediately be the same as described above for the case when onlycar No. I was in the signal methat is tosay, the current for operation of thesignal of car No. i will flow through the flrst'windings 180 of both relays and then through the other winding IOI of only the lower rel-8818M if this readjustment of current flow occurs before the contact arm 91 for the lower relay. broken. connection with its mercury pot 9], this latter contact arm will remain in closed position due to balancing of the current flow in the two windings of the lower relay while the wnitect arm of-the upper relay will be heldin open position due to passage of current through only the winding 400 of said relay. ,In case there is insuflicient difference in rapidity of operation of the two contact arms for such readjustment to occur upon the first movement of mid arms toward open position. both of said contact arms will be momentarily opened whenenpon current flow will mmaentarily cease in the signal circuits for both cars.

Bush cessation of current flow. however, would cause all at to be mmpletelyi deenergized andall ofthe contact arms to immediately return toward their normal or closed position. During this return movement again, one or the other-of the bonnet anns'mayestahiish its connection with the corresponding memory pot sufllcientlyin advance of the other contact armto establish its own signal circuit and cause energization of winding I00 of the other relay before said other contact arm'reaches closed position, and in that case also the system would operate to leave the first contact'arm in closed position and hold the other-contact arm in open position. If the readiustment does not occur on this return movement and both of the contact arms succeed in again momentarily establishing their respective circuits, they will again both tend to more to open position, but after one or two or these repeated opening and closing movements of the contact arms, one of said arms will inevitably gain upon the other during the closing movement, or lag behind the other during the opening movement sufliciently to gain exclusive control of its signal circuit andcause the other contact arm to be held in open position. Under these circumstances the contact arms maybe theoretically considered as fluttering momentarily between closed and openposition, but it is practically impossible to so design tworelays with their corresponding contact arms and mercury pots as to prevent one from gaining on the other in the manner above described and thus cause the signal to be restricted to one or theother of the cars and cause thesignal circuits for the other car or cars to remain open and the entire time required for any such fluttering action as may occur is in any event only a small fraction of a second. As a result even under the above conditions the signal is given for only one car and no visible operation of the signal for the other car is produced.

If desired in order to further insure correct operation of this system the differential relays may be positively constructed to have relatively different speeds of operation. Thus the diiferential relays may be constructed so that for any series of them each relay in the series will have a different number of turns of wire thereon with relation to the next relay in the series insuring different speeds of operation thereof if simultaneously energized. This same result may be secured in other way by graduating the weights of the relay arms 96-91 or by any other equivalent ways apparent to those skilled in the art. In the same way the differential relays in the modified arrangements may be likewise graduated in a suitable manner to vary their speeds of operation.

Thus it will be seen that either with or without the precautions noted above the system of this invention is entirely operative either when one car approaches a signaling floor or when two or more cars simultaneously approach a signaling floor (which rarely occurs). In either case the signal circuit for one car will be completed and the signaling circuits for all other cars for that floor will be opened.

As car 2 approaches closer to the second floor, say when it is one floor or so away, a pair of brushes 56 and 51 will operate to close the circuit between contact 28 and strip 55. Contact 28 being connected to dynamo I as above described, current will flow through brushes 51 and 56, contact strip 55, wires I20, I2I and I22, car signal 4 in car 2, transfer switch I08 and wire 9 to the other side of the dynamo I. Thus both the landing and car signals corresponding to car 2 are operated, while both of said signals for all other cars are arranged inoperative, so that in case another descending car enters the signal zone for the second floor, neither of such signals therefor will operate.

When the car which has caused operation of a landing signal (and of its car signal) in this manner passes beyond the signal zone for that landing, the connection between contacts 25 and 28 is interrupted and the windings I00 and MI of the corresponding set of electro-magnetic intercontrolling devices are de-energized allowing the armature which has been operated to return to normal position, thereby reestablishing the connection for the signal circuits at the intercontrolling devices for such signal circuits.

Upon such car passing out of the signal zone for this floor, the corresponding car-operated switch also operates to cause brushes 66 and 61 to close the circuit between contact 63 and strip 68, thereby causing current to flow in the restoring circuit of restoring magnet 43, causing the same to operate so as to lift arm 34 out of mercury pot 3| and break the circuit, thus restoring the system to its original inactive condition.

Generally speaking the operation of restoring the signals takes place in such manner that brushes BB and 61 close the circuit between contacts 63 and strip 68 prior to the time connections between contacts 25 and 28 are broken, the object being to break the circuit in the mercury pot rather than break the circuit through the brushes 4'! and 40 passing off of contacts 25 and 28.

In case the operator of car 2, upon stopping at the second floor in answer to the above signal, finds that he cannot carry all the passengers waiting there, he can open switch I09 in the restoring circuit, so that when he leaves this floor, contact will remain closed at circuit breaker 3|, while the interlocking devices of the corresponding set will all be returned to operative position with the result that the following car picks up the signals. In this case, however, the first car retains control of the signals, and prevents any other car from receiving or giving signals until such first car has left the landing.

The operator may, on the other hand, open transfer switch I08, thereby immediately cutting ofi the signals for his car, restoring the intercontrolling means to normal operative position, and thereby causing the signals to be picked up by another car already in the signal zone. Transfer of signals in this manner may be accomplished after the first car has stopped at the landing in case there is not sufficient room for all the passengers and the operator desires another car already in the zone to stop and pick up the remainder, or it may be accomplished before reaching the landing, in case the operator receives the signal to stop at a certain floor but does not wish to stop there, or wishes another car to also stop and assist in taking on the passengers. In case the operator does not wish to stop he may not only open the transfer switch I08 to transfer the signals to another car in the zone, but, before leaving the signal zone he can and should also open restoring circuit switch I09, so that in case his car leaves the signal zone before another enters such zone, the manually controlled break in the circuit at mercury pot 3| will remain closed, so that the next car entering the zone will pick up the signals.

The above description and operation of the signal system including my intercontrolling means applies to all intermediate floors, but in order to provide for operation of the signals at the top and bottom floors at the proper time, it will be observed that the commutator contacts and the inter-controlling means corresponding to each down signal at the top floor are located in the same series as those for the up signals at intermediate floors, while those for each up signal at the bottom floor are grouped with those for the down signals at intermediate floors. It will be also observed that in the normal operation of the elevator there is no need in the case of the top and bottom floors, of the manually controlled operation whereby a normally open break in the signal circuits is closed. There are therefore no main mercury pots or circuit closers for the signals at these floors, nor any setting and restoring magnets, so that such signals are adapted to always operate upon a car entering the signal zone. Push buttons l4 and 2| are, however, provided at the bottom and top floors respectively and are connected by wire I3I, through a suitable resistance 93, to wire I29, wire I24 and thence to the battery I3. These push buttons normally have no function, but when the elevators are not in normal operation, for example, at night, switch 84 may be opened, and in such cases closing of any push button, including I4 and 2|, will cause bell 94 to ring. These special provisions are also substantially the same as in the said Smalley and Reiners patent.

It will be seen that the system above described provides means for automatically re-establishing the circuits to normal operating position, and so condition the circuits, so they will be receptive to function for subsequent signal operation. The system also provides means whereby the transfer of signals between cars will be dependent upon the position of cars in relation to each other within the same zone. Assume that two cars are each just within the zone and successive push buttons have been pushed, say two floors, in ad- Vance, the advanced car will be in control of the signals. On operation of transfer switch all the controlled signals will be transferred to the other car, cancellation is'made of all signals in control during effective operation of transferring means. In case the advanced car is say one floor in advance and in control of signals and transfer of signals is made, upon the normal restoration of transfer means, only the advanced signal will be under control of the car in advance, the following car will assume control of the near signal.

In operation of the above system (Figs. 1-9) the circuit connections that function to establish signal connections also function in disconnecting associated signal connections from their normal position. Furthermore anyone of the circuit connections on functioning to establish signal connections also functions to disconnect associated signal connections from normal operating position.

One of the important embodiments of the invention is the electromagnetic feature utilized to selectively control the operation of the signal circuits.

The operation of the signals is obtained through the resultant effort .of two distinct features namely, first, the closing of a circuit signal connectionthrough car movement means, followed by an electromagnet circuit controlling means as a sequence operation, this second operation is dependent upon whether it is proper for this particular car to control the signal.

In the above described illustration of my invention the interlocking or intercontroliing of the signal circuits of the different cars is effected by means of electromagnets having opposed windings. It will be understood, however, that any electrically controlled device may be used which operates upon control by any signal circuit connection to disable all the other signal operating circuits for that floor and direction of travel. Thus as shown in Fig. 10 each electromagnet device may comprise two windings I69 and IM wound on different cores instead of on the same core, said windings being wound in 0pposition and operating upon a single armature 96 so that when both of said windings are energized the armature is not operated and the circuit breaking device 91 and 98 connected to said armature is therefore left in closed condition. These windings I00 and IN are connected in the same manner as above described so that winding IIII is connected in a branch circuit to the car, operated switch, and therefore in the case when I is energized by reason of its series connections with the other electromagnetic devices of the set while winding IIII is not energized by reason of its connection to a car operated switch which has not closed contact, therefore, the armature 96 will be operated to break the circuit at 91 and 98, thereby disabling the corresponding signal circuit. Instead of the windings I00 and IIlI being wound as in Fig. 10 they may be similarly wound, but operating on opposite sides of the pivot of the armature 96 as shown in Fig. 11 so as to produce a similar result. In Fig. 12 I have shown an embodiment of my invention in which the contact arm 91 makes contact with a contact member on the core for the winding IN, and arm '91 being provided with a magnetic portion so as to be held down by the action of winding IIlI in case the same is energized at the same time as winding I99. In the case of any electromagnetic device of this character which is connected to a car operated switch which is not yet in operation on account of the car not yet having entered the signal zone, energization of winding I96 by the control from another car will cause armature 96 to be operated, and the winding IfII not being energized, contact at 91 and 93 will. be broken and corresponding signal circuits disabled for the time being.

In Fig. 13 I have illustrated a construction of the electromagnetic intercontrolling devices consisting of a solenoid having windings I00 and IN wound in opposition andoperating upon a common core 96 which is connected to a contact member 91 normally establishing connection between fixed contacts 98 and 98, the effect of winding IIlIi being to lift the core 96 and contact member 91 and interrupt the signal circuit at 99, 91, and 98' unless the winding IOI is energized at the same time and neutralizes the action to of winding I00 on the core.

As illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15 the intercontrol for the respective signal circuits for different cars may be provided for by'mounting all the armatures 96 for the respective electroof windings I00 and IIlI which is effected in the case of electromagnetic devices connected to a car operated switch of which the contacts have been closed by reason of the car coming into the signal zone, the corresponding signal circuit will be maintained in closed condition at contacts 91 and 98 but the signal circuits corresponding to that floor and direction of travel for all other cars will be interrupted by operation of the corresponding spring contact members 91.

In the forms of my invention shown in Figs. 16 and 1'? each electromagnetic device comprises only a single electromagnet with one winding I46,'the wire I06 from the contact arm of each device being connected near the middle of said winding as at I46. In Fig. 16 each wire I02 from a main circuit closer is shown as connected by wires I41 and I48 to one end of the winding I46 of the electromagnetic device at each end of a set, all the electromagnets of the set being connected in series by wires I49. When a signal circuit is established by the car operated switch for the car corresponding for example, to the bottom electromagnet in Fig. 16, the circuit through the set of electromagnets will be divided into two branches, one leading from wire I62 through wire I41, windings I46 of the top and intermediate electromagnets in series, wires I49, and one half of the winding of the bottom electromagnet to connection I46 for wire I96, and the other from wire I92 through wire I49 and Cir the other half of the winding of the bottom electromagnet to said connection I46. The electromagnets corresponding to cars not in the signal zone will therefore be energized and attract their armatures 96 and thereby break the corresponding circuits at 91 and 98, while the two halves of the winding of the bottom electromagnet will act in opposition to each other and the corresponding arm 9'! will maintain connection with contact 98 and thereby maintain the signal circuits for the proper car.

The construction and operation of the form shown in Fig. 17 is similar to the above, except that wire I 02 is connected to one end of the winding of each electromagnet in the set and said windings are all cross-connected at their other ends by wire I5I, so that when a signal circuit is completed by any car-operated switch the current flows in parallel rather than in series through the windings of all the electromagnets other than the one corresponding to the car in control.

In some cases it may be desired to provide for electrically controlled means other than electromagnetic means for selectively controlling and interlocking the signal circuits. For example, as shown in Fig. 18, electro-thermal means may be provided for this purpose. Referring to this figure, in which is shown a set of two devices of this nature, wires I and I56 constituting electro-thermal elements, are supported at their upper ends at I51 and I58 and are attached at their lower ends to contact members I59 and I60, pivotally mounted as at I6I. Wire I02 from the corresponding main mercury pot or circuit closer, for example, (H, is connected to the upper end of wire I55 of a device at one end of a set, for example, the one at the left in Fig. 18. The lower end of this wire I55 is connected by wire I62 to the upper end of wire I 55 of the next device, which in this case is at the other end of the set (there being only two devices in this set) but it is understood that the number of such devices in a set will correspond to the number of elevator cars in the system, and that when this number is more than two, wires I62 will be provided to connect the lower end of each wire I55 to the upper end of the next one, so that all such wires are connected in series. Wire I55 of the end device to which wire I02 is connected (and of all intermediate devices in a set of three or more) is insulated at its lower end from contact member I59 as indicated at I63, while wire I 55 of the device at the other end of the set is electrically connected to its contact member I59. All the contact members I59 are connected by wire I64. Wires I56 are all electrically connected to their contact members I60, while their upper ends are connected by wires I 01 to the corresponding commutator segments for example, segments 28 of their respective car-operated switches.

It is evident that, with the circuit closed at 3 I, if one of the car-operated switches makes contact between its segment 28 and the segment cooperated therewith, current will flow through all the wires I55 in series and through wire I56 of the electro-thermal device corresponding to such switch. These wires are made of such fine wire as to be heated materially by the passage of the current and to therefore be elongated and permit their respective contact levers to fall. In the case of the device corresponding to the car which is in control of the circuits, both contacts :59 and I60 will fall equally and contact will be maintained, while in all the other devices of the set, only contact I59 will fall as indicated in dotted lines in the right hand device, thereby breaking the connection and locking out these devices. When the connection at segment 28 is again broken by the car operated switch the wires will quickly cool off and return to their normal positions, again closing the contacts and placing all the devices in operative condition.

While I have shown push buttons or circuit closers at the landings as the initial means to control the signals, I do not wish to limit the scope of this invention to a definite sequence of operation wherein the push button operation always first occurs to primarily control the signals so they will be receptive to a completion of control by car movement, as in case of application of my invention to push button control elevator systems the push buttons or circuit closers call a car to the landing and the car which is responding to said call will selectively control the signals. In other words the elevator may be operable under direct control of passengears and it is desirable that the elevator shall selectively control or interlock the signals so duplicaiton of signals will not be given.

My invention may also be applied, with some modification, to signal systems for so-called department store elevator systems, in which all the cars stop at each floor. The wiring circuits for such a system are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 19, in which the parts and connections are numbered, as-far as possible, the same as in Fig. 1. It will be obvious that in such a system no push buttons are required at the landings and no car signals are required. The main mercury pots, with the setting and restoring magnets therefor, and the car-operated switch contact segments for the restoring magnets and for the car signals may therefore also be eliminated in such cases, together of course with the connections therefor. The other connections remain the same as in the other case, with the exception that wires I02 from the interconnecting devices, lead directly to wire H0 connected to the source of power I. The operation of the car-operated switches and of the intercontrolling means is the same in this case as in the other form, the result being in this case that whenever any car enters the signal zone corresponding to a certain floor, the landing 1 signal for that car will be lighted, and the intercontrolling means will operate to break the circuits for all the other cars at that floor, so that no other car can signal at that floor until the first car has moved out of the signal zone. operator of any car, however, in case he does not wish to stop at a certain floor, may open transfer switch I08, thus breaking the circuit for his car so that the next car entering the zone or which may have already entered the zone subsequently to the first car will give the signal at the landing. A distinctive feature of my invention, namely, the fact that the breaks in all the signal circuits at 1c inter-controlling means are normally closed, but upon the completion of the signal circuit for any car, the intercontrolling means operates to open the breaks therein in the circuits for all the other cars, is the same in this embodiment of my invention as in the form first described.

I claim:

1. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars, individual landing signals for the cars, signal circuits for the respective cars, car controlled switch means individual to said cars for completing the landing signal circuit for the correspond- The ing car, and means operable upon the establishment of any one of the landing signal circuits to open all other landing signal circuits for that landing and to maintain said other circuits open during the time such first circuit is maintained established.

2. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars, individual landing signals for the cars, signal circuits and car-controlled switches for the respective cars for completing the landing signal circuit for the corresponding car, normally closed means interposed in said signal circuits, interconnecting means between said car-controlled switches and said normally closed means, whereby when one of said signal circuits for any floor is closed all other signal circuits for that floor are open.

3. In a signal system for a plurality of cars, individual landing signals for the cars, signal circuits and car-controlled switches for the respective cars for completing the signal circuits for the corresponding car, and means operable upon the completion by a car-controlled switch of the circuits for any car for holding open the corresponding circuits for the other cars.

4. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars, individual car signals, circuits therefor, car-controlled switches for the respective cars for completing the signal circuits for the corresponding car, normally closed circuit-opening means interposed in the car signal circuits, means electrically interconnecting all of said circuit-opening means whereby upon establishment of any one of said car signal circuits, by one of the car control switches the circuit opening means operate to open the corresponding signal circuits for all of the other cars and maintain said other circuits .open while said one circuit remains established, said circuit-opening means being also operable upon the breaking of said first circuit after establishment thereof to restore the circuit-opening means in all the other car signal circuits to normally closed position.

5. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars, individual landing signals, individual car signals, signal circuits for said landing signals and said car signals, a plurality of car-controlled switches corresponding to the respective cars, each of said switches controlling the closure of a normally open break in the signal circuit corresponding to that car, electrically interconnected normally closed circuit-opening means also interposed ln said signal circuits, said means being operable upon the establishment of a signal circuit corresponding to any one of said cars to open the corresponding landing signal circuits and car signal circuits for all the other cars and to maintain said circuits open while said first circuit remains established.

6. In an elevator signal system for a plurality 01' cars, individual landing signals, individual car signals, signal circuits for said landing signals and said car signals, a plurality of car-controlled switches corresponding to the respective cars, each of said switches controlling the closure of a normally open break in the signal circuit corresponding to that car, electrically interconnected normally closed circuit-opening means also interposed in said signal circuits, said means being operable upon the establishment of a signal circuit corresponding to any one of said cars to open the corresponding landing signal circuits and car signal circuits for all the other cars and to maintain said circuits open while said first circuit remains established, said circuit opening means being also operable upon the breaking of said first circuit after it is established to restore the circuit-opening means in the signal circuits corresponding to all the other cars to normally closed condition.

'7. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors, individual signals for each of said cars for each floor, electric circuits including said signals, a car controlled switching means for each car operable in accordance with movements of the car for closing the circuit to the signals for that car for the floor corresponding to the position of the car, and means operable by the establishment of the signal circuit for any floor for one car to open the signal circuits for all other cars for that floor and to maintain said circuits open during the time such first circuit is established.

8. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars, each serving a plurality of floors, individual signals for each car for each floor, a circuit for each signal, means at each floor common to the signals for all cars for that fioor operable by a prospective passenger to prepare circuits to all signals for that floor, car controlled switching means for each car operable in accordance with movements of the car for completing the previously prepared circuits for that car upon approach of the car to a signaled floor, and means operable by the completion of the circuit for the signal of any car for any floor for opening the signal circuits for all other cars for that floor and maintaining said circuits open during completion of said first circuit.

9. In an elevator signal system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of fioors, individual signals for each of said cars for each floor, electric circuits for said signals, a car controlled switching means for each car operable in accordance with movements of the car for closing the circuit to the signals for that car for the floor corresponding to the position of the car, and magnetically operable switching means in said circuits and operable by the establishment of the signal circuit for any floor for any car to render inoperative the signals of the other cars for that floor and to maintain said signals inoperative during the time the first circuit is established.

ROBERT H. GAYLORD. 

